Machine for enveloping and sealing articles



Aug. 3, 1965 R. J. DWYER MACHINE FOR ENVELOPING AND SEALING ARTICLES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 21. 1965 INVENTOR. RAYMOND J. DWYER BY WMZA @m- ATTORNEY Aug. 3, 1965 R. J. DWYER MACHINE FOR ENVELOPING AND SEALING ARTICLES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 21, 1963 INVENTOR. RAYMOND J. DWYER BY ATTORNEY Aug. 3, 1965 R. J. DWYER MACHINE FOR ENVELOPING AND SEALING ARTICLES 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 21, 1963 RAYMOND J. DWYER WM 4 gm ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,197,939 MACHINE FOR ENVELOPING AND SEALING ARTICLES Raymond J. Dwyer, '54 Poinsetta, Toledo, Ohio Filed Jan. 21, 1963, Ser. No. 252,673 2 Claims. (Cl. 53-180) of the above characterhaving a pair of webs of sheet material, such as a paper, which are coated with pres sure sensitive adhesive and are brought together progressively as an article to be wrapped is introduced between them, in such manner that the edge portions of the web are adhered together and the article occupies the space between.

Another object is to produce a machine of the above character equipped with web-retaining and pull rolls, the edge portions of the webs being drawn transversely toward each other to accommodate the article to be wrapped therebetween, and the retainer rolls maintaining the webs in the desired position and the pull rolls alfording the necessary transverse web movement for accommodation in a progressive manner as the webs are longitudinally advanced bythe same.

Other objects consist in details of construction, arrangement and operation, and, for purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown on the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of an article wrapping machine;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the machine shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic top plan view showing the manner in which the paper webs are fed to the retainer and pull rolls as the webs envelope an article advanced between such rolls;

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic top perspective view of the parts shown in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the web cutting machine for cuttingthe webs after the article has been Wrapped or enveloped.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises an article wrapping machine having an upright table carried by supporting legs 11, and having a hat platform top 12. Appearing at opposite sides of the table top are posts 13 and 14 on which rolls of wrapping paper 15 and 16 respectively are suitably mounted. The wrapping paper may be of kraft paper, cellophane, or similar sheet material, one side of which is coated with a suitable pressure-type adhesive, so the webs may be pressed together and thereby adhered. Such coating may constitute a non-abrasive latex which is cohesive in nature but is not adhesive, so that the coating sticks only to itself, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

From the roll 15 extends a web or ribbon 17 which extends over a steel guide roll 18 and thence between a relatively narrow retainer roll 19 and a pair of vertically spaced pull rolls 20. The retainer roll 19 is of metal, such as steel, and is equipped with relatively coarse knurls. Each of the pull rolls 24 is relatively thin in cross section and has a rim of rubber, indicated at 20 The rubber rim 20 is preferably of durometer, which is critical because if the durometer of the rubber is in creased, the paper will tear, whereas if a less durometer is employed, the paper will pull out from between the sets of pull rolls, as will hereafter appear. The two pull rolls 20 are mounted on a common shaft and are adjustable toward and away from each other to accommodate different widths of web.

The ribbon or web from the roll 16 is indicated at 21,

5 and as shown on FIGURE 2, this web first passes over a guide or back-up roll 22, with which cooperates a printing roll 23 in order to print the web as it advances. The web 21 thence extends over guide rolls 24 and 24 from which it passes between a retainer roll 25 and a pair of vertically spaced pull rolls 26 which respectively bear against the pull rolls 2d). The pull rolls 26 likewise have a rubber rim 2& of the durometer above mentioned. It will be understood that the retainer roll 25 is of similar construction to the retainer roll 19 and is likewise formed with relatively coarse knurls.

The several rolls above mentioned are mounted between a pair of vertically spaced frame plates 27 and 28. As above mentioned, each pair of pull rolls is mounted on a common shaft, the lower end of which extends below the platform top 12, where they are power driven, as by an air motor (not shown). Thus the pair of pull rolls 2i) and 26 are power driven, whereas the remaining rolls are idler rolls and rotate only in response to the movement of the paper webs passing over them.

Articles to be wrapped are guided to the webs 17 and 21 by a pair of vertically adjustable guide plates A and B. The lower guide A is carried by a stem which is adjustable vertically in the plate 28 and is secured in adjusted position by a set screw A The guide B is also carried by a stem which is adjustable in the upper plate 27 and is secured in its adjusted position by a set screw B Each of the plates A and B is similarly shaped and has a pointed forward end which projects inwardly substantially between the lower pull rolls' 2t) and 26 in order to effect an adequate guide for the articles to be wrapped as they are advanced to the paper webs.

FIGURES 3 and 4 diagrammatically illustrate the manner in which an article P to be wrapped passes between the paper webs 17 and 21 and between the sets of pull rolls 20 and 26. The article P may be a moulding which may be straight, curved, reverse curved, S-shaped or may constitute conduit, tubing, or the like. As shown the part P passes between the upper and lower sets of pull rolls 29 and 26. The pull rolls 20 not only advance the webs 17 and 21 but press the edge portions of the webs, both top and bottom, into engagement with each other, thereby causing the latex coating to cohere and thus contain the article P. It should be understood that the rubber rim on the pull rolls is such as to enable the webs to shift transversely a distance determined by the thickness or shape of the article to be packaged. However, the knurled retainer rolls 19 and 25 insure that the webs are retained in proper position as they advance to their respectivepull rolls.

After the article has been packaged or wrapped and has passed beyond the pull rolls 2i and 26, a severing device operates to sever the webs at the inner end of the Wrapped package. In this instance severing is accomplished by a pair of shear blades 29 and 30 arranged at one side of the wrapping mechanism. The blades 29 and 36 are connected by a pivot pin 31 which is connected to a suitable upright support 32 connected to a frame plate 27. The pivot pin 31 for the shear blades is adjacent the upper end portion of each blade and the upper portion thereof in each instance is formed with a longitudinally elongate slot 32 through which extends a pin 34 carried by a bifurcated head 35 which is fixed to the lower end of a piston rod 36. The piston rod 36 has a piston which is reciprocal within an air cylinder 37. Manifestly when air is admitted to the cylinder 37 to drive the piston upwardly the shear blades 29 and 30 are rocked toward each other thereby to sever the paper sheets disposed therebetween. After severance has been achieved, the piston returns to its normal position with the blades 29 and 30 spread apart, as indicated on FIG- URE. 5. Any suitable valve arrangement may be employed to eifect the actuation of the shearing device, at such time as the wrapped article has sufficiently advanced beyondthe pull rolls 20 and 26.

From the above description, it will be manifest that I have produced an exceedingly simple and efficient machine for wrapping articles such as mouldings, pipe, conduit and the like by simply introducing the article to be wrapped between a pair of latex coated paper webs which are gripped by pull rolls adjacent the upper and lower edge portions. The pull rolls not only advance the webs progressively, but also cohere the faces of the webs together. The pull rolls are provided with rubber rims which are sufficient to fixedly engage the webs for advancing movement thereto, but are also such that transverse movement of the ,webs can be effected to accommodate diiferent sized articles. An important feature is in the employment of the coarsely knurled guide rolls which engage the pull rolls and press the paper webs therebetween so as to maintain the webs in the proper fiat condition even though the paper beyond the retainer rolls is bulged outwardly because of the article being wrapped. Thus the retainer rolls insure that the paper will be fed properly to the pull rolls and remain in the desired shape at all times. After the article has been wrapped, the paper webs at the end of the article are severed, thereby completing the Wrapping operation.

Numerous changes in details of constuction, arrange ment and operation may be effected without departing from the spirit of the invention, especially as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An article enveloping machine comprising two sets of relatively narrow driven rubber rimmed pull rolls, each set having a pair of pull rolls on a common axis and spaced from each other and the rolls of one set bearing respectivley against the rolls of the other set, a drive shaft common to each set of pull rolls, there being substantial space in a radial direction between the rolls of each set and said drive shaft to accommodate articles to be enveloped, and a coarsely knurled metal idler retainer roll for each set of pull rolls and pressing respectively thereagainst, said knurled rolls being of a length greater than the longitudinal distance between a set of pull rolls, whereby a pair of latex coated webs of sheet material may be fed between the retainer rolls and the sets of pull rolls respectively and then pass directly between the pull rolls so that an article fed to the bight of the pull rolls is wrapped by the cohesive engagement of the webs and afford transverse movement of the webs between the bight of the pull rolls to accommodate an article, the knurled retainer rolls holding the webs in flat condition at all times as they pass to the bight of the pull rolls despite such transverse movement thereof.

2. An article enveloping machine as claimed in claim 1 comprising a pair of guide plates adjustable toward and away from each other for guiding an article to be Wrapped to the bight of the pull rolls.

FRANK E. BAEEY, Primary Examiner.

TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Examiner. 

1. AN ARTICLE ENVELOPING MACHINE COMPRISING TWO SETS OF RELATIVELY NARROW DRIVEN RUBBER RIMMED PULL ROLLS, EACH SET HAVING A PAIR OF PULL ROLLS ON A COMMON AXIS AND SPACED FROM EACH OTHER AND THE ROLLS OF ONE SET BEARING RESPECTIVELY AGAINST THE ROILL OF THE OTHER SET, A DRIVE SHAFT COMMON TO EACH SET OF PULL ROLLS, THERE BEING SUBSTANTIAL SPACE IN A RADIAL DIRECTION BETWEEN THE ROLLS OF EACH SET AND SAID EDRIVE SHAFT TO ACCOMMODATE ARTICLES TO BE ENVELOPED, AND A COARSELY KNURLED METAL IDLER RETAINER ROLL FOR EACH SET OF PULL ROLLS AND PRESSING RESPECTIVELY THEREAGAINST, SAID KNURLED ROLLS BEING OF A LENGTH GREATER THAN THE LONGITUDINAL DISTANCE BETWEEN A SET OF PULL ROLLS, WHEREBY A PAIR OF LATEX COATED WEBS OF SHEET MATERIAL MAY BE FED BETWEEN THE RETAINER ROLLS AND THE SETS OF PULL ROLLS RESPECTIVELY AND THEN PASS DIRECTLY BETWEEN THE PULL ROLLS RESPECTIELY AND THEN PASS DIRECTLY BETWEEN THE PULL ROILLS SO THAT AN ARTICLE FED TO THE BIGHT OF THE PULL ROLLS IS WRAPPED BY THE COHESIVE ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE BIGHT OF THE PULL ROLLS TO ACCOMMODATE AN ARTICLE, THE KNURLED RETAINER ROLLS HOLDING THE WEBS IN FLAT CONDITION AT ALL TIMES AS THEY PASS TO THE BIGHT OF THE PULL ROLLS DESPITE SUCH TRANSVERSE MOVEMENT THEREOF. 